Registration deadline: Friday, October 8, 2021
Sherry Menor-McNamara was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii on September 1, 2013. She is the youngest and first female President and CEO in the Chamber’s 171-year history, as well as the first Asian to serve as the leader of a State Chamber in the nation. Click here to read more.
HICC 2021 Young Professional of the Year
Kris Speegle is the owner of Nakoa Kai Insurance Professionals / Allstate Insurance Agency. His agency is Hawaii`s largest insurance agency and ranks in the top 1% in the country. Since 2012, Kris has grown his agency from 3 employees to 13, and hopes to have 20 licensed professionals by the end of 2022. Kris is an active member of the Rotary club and also serves as the Title Sponsor for Hawaii Care Choices Celebration of Life event. He has also volunteered with other non-profit organizations including Friends of the Children’s Justice Center, Big Brothers Big Sisters, March of Dimes, and Red Cross to name a few. Chamber members have benefitted from a number of Kris’ presentations about financial literacy and the importance of having insurance. Kris sponsored a number of other Chamber events and hosted a grand opening at their Manono location.
HICC 2021 Young Professionals Community Service Award
Bryson Hiro is the CEO of Bryson Hiro, LLC and is a licensed life insurance annuities agent. Since 2018, Bryson has truly become a resource for individuals and families who want to learn about planning for a healthy financial future. He works hard to ensure his clients understand the purpose and value of their investments. Bryson regularly volunteers at food distributions to support the Hilo Garden Initiative’s mission to feed those in need and raise awareness for food insecurity on Hawaiʻi Island. He baked hundreds of dreamsicle shortbread cookies to raise additional funds for Hilo Garden Initiative and serves as an Ambassador of the Hawaiʻi Diaper Bank. Bryson is an active member of the Chamber’s Young Professionals Committee and helps create content for YP social media.
HICC 2021 Young Professionals Professional Excellence Award
Gareth Makino is the corporate buyer for Yamada Furniture and also handles all of the marketing and customer relationship management. He has been in this position since 2017 and helped Yamada Furniture create a strong online presence by changing their advertising focus from print to online sales and social media. He came up with the concept of “furniture to go,” where customers could view pictures of the products and they could pick up their items in a box outside the showroom. Gareth also came up with virtual showroom visits, where customers could video chat with Yamada Furniture employees to get a “live” look at the furniture in stock. As president of the East Hawaii Hiroshima Kenjin Kai, Gareth promotes the importance of peace between Hiroshima and Hawaii and shares Hiroshima’s rich history and culture. Gareth participated in the “Positive Change from a Pandemic” webinar as a panelist and shared how Yamada Furniture pivoted during the pandemic.
HICC 2021 Young Professionals Chamber Service Award
Jase Takeya is the owner of Eclipse Effect Events and has been in the entertainment industry for over 10 years. He provides MC, sound, lighting design, and event production services for weddings, parties, and other special events. Recently, with the Covid-19 pandemic, Jase switched his focus to elevating virtual and hybrid streaming services for all of his clients. Jase is an active member of New Hope East Hawaii and dedicates numerous hours to help feed the homeless, council people, and spread hope through his church. Using his experience from events, Jase assisted the Chamber with streaming the first virtual webinar during the COVID-19 pandemic (featuring Scott Murakami, former Director, Department of Land and Industrial Relations) to Facebook. Since then, he assisted the Chamber with streaming several other virtual events, including the post golf tournament awards ceremony and Administrative Professionals Day.
-Horizontal-P301-w1920.png){kind=logo}
Young Professionals Inaugural Recognition Gala (FLYER)
